Let’s be honest here, I have no idea why you should start a trip to Indonesia in Yogyakarta. I just did because someone recommended it to me. And it really was the perfect place to get to know Indonesia. The city is the former spiritual and cultural center of Java and has currently about 700k inhabitants. Lots of this former glory is still visible around and in the city. Maybe not so much from the air. And here is my first impression of the city.
arriving by plane @Yogyakarta
What I noticed right away is that Yogyakarta is still affordable. You can get a room in a hostel easily for under 10 Euro or you can splurge on a five star hotel for still next to nothing. Usually I go for hostels because you just meet more people and tours are better organized. But since it was all so low-priced I decided against it. Also in a really hot city where I had lots of tours planned there is nothing better than relaxing in a hotel with a pool. The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta offers all of this.
the pool of The Phoenix Hotel @Yogyakarta
my favorite place at The Phoenix Hotel @Yogyakarta
A good base is especially important when you factor in the hours of your tours. Yogyakarta offers quite a bit of sightseeing stuff itself but there is more around. In the surrounding area are two temples, Prambanan and Borobudur, as well as countless active volcanoes. I planned all of my tours for the morning. It made sense temperature wise but I also wanted to lounge around the pool later on. I mean what would have been the point otherwise to book such a place?
And let’s not forget I celebrated my birthday while staying at The Phoenix Hotel and they were nice enough to remember it.
birthday cake from my hotel @Yogyakarta
What I also liked about Yoyakarta is that it feels manageable. I like to make time to get a feeling for a city. Which best done when I walk around. No guided tour let’s you breath in the air of areas where no tourist ever goes. I do, because usually I get lost. It’s of course easier to navigate the city with a rickshaw. But then you wouldn’t see as much. I only started with that on the second day after walking all over the first day.
rickshaw parking @Yogyakarta
So basically you just need to keep your eyes open and you see lots of new sights. This is what I love about traveling. Yours, Pollybert
housing next to a river @Yogyakarta
